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May
9, 1883 Mennonitische Rundschau p2.

Travel Report

In spring of last year [1882] I went along with my
brother P. Funk to Sagradowka, to visit our dear friends and brother and
sisters. It was just at an excellent time of year when the Lord preaches
through nature to the traveler and reveals His love; especially the Dnieper
with the beautiful and different green trees. It stays with me in my
memory. […A long section abut the building of a stone church and about the
great building of God] Arriving at A. Penners in Steinfeld, Sagradowka, our
"leibliche" sister, after such a long separation, could almost not
contain herself to be finally able to see us before her. Also at my
wife's sister it was the same, and we had much to ask and tell. After I
went to brother-in-law K. Heinrichs in Friedensfeld, and also saw and visited
with the leaders, I spoke with some well-known young men about what they had
learned, and took with us messages and greetings to our homeland. We then
drove back to the Heinrichs and thus completed two days. The third day
was Sunday and early in the morning I was awaked by the brothers and invited to
the gathering in the home of the Rempels, where I knew many, and met many who
had found grace and were now our family in the Lord and I could now greet and
rejoice in the grace of God. That was a day of delight and blessing that
I will never forget. After a heartfelt farewell I went back to
Reinfeld.

On our return we stopped a little at the Klass Krokers in
No.6. Brother Kroker, my wife's uncle, was ailing but shared with us many
blessings and before long several hours had passed and so we said goodbye, and
outside it had become dark. The six werst (about 4 miles) from there to
Reinfeld was difficult in the dark night, nevertheless we arrived at midnight
safely at A. Penners. The following day was the day to say goodbye and by
God's grace we returned home safely on Ascension Day.

Postscript;

I must now brings the sad news, that by three weeks the
wife of Brother Peter Funk has died in childbirth, at the same time a little
son of their neighbor Sister Isbrand Friesen died and so the deceased sister
took the dead child with her, while sister Friesen took the motherless suckling
child into her care. Preacher Unruh conducted this unusual funeral
service.

[Elfreda Penner Fast translated this part. She
added the PS and left of the following part about greetings which I have added]

Ending of
article referring to Kuban and Aulie Ata.

By these lines I send obligatory thanks to all dear
brothers and sisters and friends, because they received us so well: please
think of mine also before the throne of God. Please also give a greeting from
us to the dear brothers at the Kuban particularly, who remember us and also
through the "Rundschau." I intend to write more in addition and if asked,
then I can say, so that I live in the faith of the Son of God and look forward
to the future, which, I think is close. Do not give up but all push forward
even through affliction and pain. Also the dear brothers in Asten, Aulie Ata,
are greeted, Esauen of Johann Heinrichs, Pauls of F Pauls and Johann Neufelt of
the father and me. All are together greeted in the sweet spirit of the
Alexanderthal brothers and sisters:

Your fellow pilgrim to Zion,

Heinrich Funk.

Last part edited 5/14/2010 with freetranslation.com by Kathy Sperling

There is a Johann Neufeld who married a Maria Kroeker who was living in the Kuban.

Maria Heinrichs may be the daughter of Abraham Johann Heinrichs and Eva
of Alexanderthal, Molotschna, South Russia listed in the 1835 Molotschna
census Alexanderthal #10. They are the only Heinrichs listed there and
may be the Heinrichs that ended up in the Dakotas with other Funk relatives. Also see: Ancestry.com Another connection is the Johann Heinrichs of Asten, Auli Eata mentioned in the 1883 Rundschau newspaper report that Heinrich Funk wrote.
And also that he had a brother in law --K . Heinrichs of Friedensfeld,
Kuban and his wife Maria also had a sister at Steinfeld, Sagradowka. [or
perhaps Friedensfeld] She also had a uncle Klass Kroeker of Reinfeld.